Photo Gallery: Vote For Your Favourite Makeover

If you’re considering an update to your kitchen, bedroom, living room or bathroom, check out these sophisticated design transformations. You’ll see dramatic before-and-after photos of amazing rooms to inspire your next decorating or renovation project.

According to designer Cameron MacNeil, it was a matter of redecorating, pure and simple. The room’s layout was functioning well; his-and-hers closets and an adjoining outdoor space meant it never felt too small. But the bulky wood furniture, tired recliner and builder-basic carpet made the room seem dated and unfinished.

The weighty wood sleigh bed was replaced with an open-ended frame that makes the room feel spacious. Layered with a quilted coverlet, neutral bedding and cable-knit throw pillows, the new bed exudes comfort. Opulence introduced by the mirrored furniture and chandelier keeps it from feeling too casual. Using a three-drawer dresser in place of traditional bedside tables reduces the number of pieces needed and opens up the room.

The room had good bones: a beautiful dark hardwood floor, just enough space and a large window outfitted with plantation shutters that let in plenty of natural light. However, the expansive white walls and uninspired furniture felt clinical, not homey, and zero storage meant there were few places for clutter to hide.

Designer Deb Nelson suggests layering your lighting. “A combination of task, table and overhead lighting allows illumination levels to be tailored to meet different needs,” she says. Layout is also crucial; moving the desk away from the wall toward the centre of the room allows for extra shelving and added dimension. Here, Deb chose backless shelving, leaving an unobstructed view of the walls. Buying large furniture pieces from big-box stores — such as the Ikea shelving — allowed her to invest in more expensive fabrics and wallpaper.

Uninspired decor and spatial issues made it feel much older than its 10 years. A large corner tub consumed too much of the room’s square footage. Plus, oversized tiles in a teal sponge-paint finish were past their prime and visually overwhelmed the space.

Polished fixtures and sophisticated finishes transform this bathroom into a blissful retreat.

An impressive panelled wall treatment plays up the basketweave floor tile and enhances the room’s tailored look. The high window was fitted with “top-down bottom-up” shades to maximize light and privacy. A gracious marble-topped vanity offers plenty of storage.

A single bedside table with no drawers or shelves didn't offer enough room to stash personal items. Extra shoes, clothes and other gear tucked under the bed were all too visible. The room also needed some softness and a focal point.

Painted banisters and mouldings and carpeted stairs inform this design.

This spacious front hall entry has strong craftsman-style features, but its two-tone colour scheme was busy and uninviting.

Photographer:

Ted Yarwood

Fresh Foyer Design

Decorating a stairway area? Make a statement with unique furniture and lighting.

The lower-portion of the room was painted out in creamy white and warm burnt-orange grasscloth wallpaper was applied to the upper walls. A tailored striped carpet on the stairs, a new Persian rug, a striped roman blind and a new floral seat cushion add layers of colour and pattern.

Without furniture, this room is a blank canvas for design and decorating ideas.

Designer Sharon Mimran transformed this stately 1850’s home over a two year process.

Photographer:

Ted Yarwood

Sharon Mimran Living Room

This spare yet elegant design features modern chairs and traditional finishes.

Mesh front doors were added onto the built-ins flanking the fireplace. New crown moulding enhances the overall look of the space. Niches for firewood were carved out on either side of the new window seat. Herringbone oak floors with a high gloss finish create a glamorous effect.

Designer Cameron MacNeil created a modern, open space perfect for entertaining. Custom steel countertops are a sleek yet durable choice. The backsplash, using 2”x8” subway tiles is a fresh take on the traditional 3”x6”.

This den and office area felt neglected and ad hoc with no storage and zero style, but the room had lots of light and extra-tall windows with character.

Photographer:

Angus Fergusson/Courtesy of HGTV's Style Dept.

Dynamic Den Design

Bright walls, storage and accent pieces pull this room together.

The intense colours of the walls and bookcase backing are set off by crisp white trim and shelving. The scale and size of the bookshelves offer plenty of storage for office items, and also add character to the large space.

A cold, stark and unfinished room lacked character without colour or window coverings. The vintage dining chairs and contemporary metal table were great accents, but in need of a subtle update to soften the style.

Photographer:

Andrew Grinton

Warm & Welcoming Dining Room

Personalize a dining room with accent pieces.

Vintage dining chairs are easily updated with slipcovers, and a linen runner added to a contemporary table injects warmth and character. A single gold drape paired with dark bamboo blinds makes an awkward alcove window more dramatic, and wallpaper panels add instant colour to walls without actually painting them.

Despite its good bones and classic furniture, this guest room needs some colour and pattern. The upholstered headboard, taupe wall colour and white duvet make for a monotone palette, and the lack of accessories make it ho-hum and impersonal.

Cheerful Guest Bedroom

Colour and pattern add a personal touch to a too-plain bedroom.

Wallpapering the ceiling is a great way to add character to a large room, and here the light ivory colour and understated gold stars keep the ceiling from looking too heavy. A block-print coverlet and paisley throw pillows are harmonious in shades of purple, but doesn’t make the room too feminine. Layering a striped cotton rug over an existing sisal rug adds even more pattern and punch to the colour scheme.

A cramped hallway, 1970s floor tiles and stairs buried under brown carpet made this home's entrance feel stuck in the dark ages.

Photographer:

Virginia Macdonald

Bright Entryway Reno

This simple entry hall sets a calming tone for the entire house.

Peter Fallico — host of HGTV’s Home To Flip — brightens a classic hallway by painting the walls and trim white, and installing engineered teak floors and a neutral stair runner. The kitchen island features lovely display shelves that are visible from the front door.

When former H&H staffer Emily Walker bought this house with partner Mark Holden, she could see beyond the chain-link fence, pink-brown paint and rotting roof. Drab cement edging along the walkway would soon be supplanted by beds of flowers, as would the less-than-welcoming fence, once it was torn out.

This home’s soft grey palette creates a calm, neutral canvas for a gutsy bright yellow door. To keep the focus on the eye-catching entrance, the surrounding garden was kept simple and green. Perennials like sandcherry and “Limelight” hydrangeas add depth and variation, and better integrate the house to the street. Beds of hostas and impatiens edge either side of the walkway and draw the eye toward a welcoming seagrass stair runner.

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